Round 30 Review – League Two Men’s
The Newcastle Jets created history as they became the first side to go undefeated for an entire Football NSW League Two Men’s season as they earned the title of the Invincibles, while the battle for 2nd came down to the wire in Round 30.
The Match of the Round this week saw Mounties Wanderers FC celebrate their 2nd-placed finish with a come-from-behind away win over Parramatta FC.
Saturday, 24th August 2024
Match of the Round: Parramatta FC 1-4 Mounties Wanderers FC
Mounties Wanderers FC celebrated their 2nd-placed finish in 2024 and earned a spot in the promotion-relegation playoff after their come-from-behind victory over Parramatta FC, with a hat-trick hero to thank, in a match where they were able to rest key players ahead of the playoff.
Parramatta took a shock early lead in the contest after Ali Chamsin pinched the ball off the Mounties defence and got in behind, before he powered an effort into the back of the net with his left foot to give the Eagles a shock 1-0 lead in the 5th minute.
Mounties hit straight back in the 11th minute, however, when Fikret Berisha received the ball, switched it from his right to his left inside the box, which got him around Parramatta’s Tarek Elrich, before he slammed the ball home towards the far-left post to restore parity in the match early.
A back-and-forth start to the match saw both sides continue to shoot, with Chamsin taking a shot on from range for the Eagles and Berisha having a shot cleared off the line by the Parramatta defence.
Mounties pushed and took the lead for the first time in the match in the 25th minute – Berisha was the beneficiary once again, this time from good pressure from Brima Kamara, who played the ball to Berisha before the latter slotted the ball home with his right foot to the far-right post for his second goal to give Mounties the 2-1 advantage.
The visitors had the next two chances across the next ten minutes, with Dany Ghetti having a shot saved to his right by Parramatta goalkeeper, Matthew Marrum, before a shot from Anthony Windsor was caught by Marrum.
Courageous work from Mounties’ goalkeeper, Roberto D’Angelo, stopped Parramatta from getting on the end of a ball in behind as Mounties took a 2-1 lead into half-time.
After the break, Mounties continued to show why they were in the playoff this season when Ghetti took a shot on goal from the right which forced a save from Marrum, but the ball rebounded straight into the path of Mitchell Gibbs, who scored to give Mounties a 3-1 lead.
The visitors continued to fire, with a shot saved and over, respectively, from Mounties in the following minutes, before they all-but wrapped up victory in the 61st minute with a hat-trick hero.
Berisha got in between the Parramatta defenders before a ball was played from the left into his path – he settled on the ball before he powered it home to take home the match ball and wrap up a 4-1 victory for Mounties to the applause of the away fans.
Parramatta had a shot in the final ten minutes from substitute Yusuf Aydin saved at full-stretch to his left by D’Angelo, who also had to save another shot from Aydin to his left minutes later.
Despite late opportunities for Parramatta, they were unable to grab a consolation goal as Mounties ran out 4-1 winners.
The win for Mounties saw them finish the season in 2nd on 61 points, three ahead of 3rd-placed Bankstown United FC as they succeeded in their fight for the promotion-relegation playoff, which they will play over two legs against League One Men’s side, Nepean FC.
The loss for Parramatta saw them finish the season in 8th on 36 points, one behind 7th-placed Hurstville FC and one ahead of 9th-placed Granville Rage, as they improved on their 14th-placed finish from 2023.
Speaking post-match, Mounties Head Coach Jure Bilokapic, who won his fourth-straight match as Mounties coach since he came in after their loss to Camden, was proud of the effort of his side despite the match being a dead rubber regarding their league position.
“We knew the [Bankstown] result from yesterday, so it came down to a bit of desire and commitment from the boys today… it was good to see some of these young boys play and I commend them for everything they did.”
With Nikola Todoroski and Andre Schroeder on yellow cards, as well as Yuki Kanai cautious with his return from a hamstring injury, Bilokapic said it was a good match for him to not take any risks.
“We were always going to try and go out and win the game – I am not a fan of draws or the losses, so the boys were really committed.”
Looking ahead to the two-legged playoff against Nepean FC, Bilokapic said his side will go into those matches with a lot of momentum.
“I cannot see us stepping back – I think we are going to attack at both ends and we are ready for it.”
Mounties will hope to welcome back key players as they prepare for their two-legged affair with League One Men’s side Nepean FC in their bid to gain promotion to the League One Men’s competition for 2025.
Parramatta FC 1 (Ali Chamsin 5’)
Mounties Wanderers FC 4 (Fikret Berisha 11’, 25’, 62’; Mitchell Gibbs 51’)
Friday, 23rd August 2024
Bankstown United FC 1-1 South Coast Flame FC
Bankstown United FC needed a win to put the pressure on Mounties for 2nd in 2024 but had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to South Coast Flame FC as their season ended in the final round.
Flame goalkeeper Jordan Bruce was called into action early when he smothered a loose ball in the penalty area to deny Bankstown’s Mitchell Cross, who was looking to add to his 34 goals for the season as the league’s top goal scorer.
Jyden Harb had a chance for the Flame at the other end 11 minutes in, with his shot saved at full stretch by Bankstown goalkeeper, Zachary Richau.
Bankstown had a goal disallowed for offside, with Cross adjudged offside in the build-up when he had played a ball to Blagojevic, who scored before the assistant referee raised his flag.
Cross had another chance for the hosts which was saved by Bruce before he also had another chance which went over the bar as the two teams went into half-time goalless.
After the break, Bankstown had a golden chance to take the lead when Alejandro Salgueira squared the ball to Cross from the left, who subsequently played the ball to Corey Freeman, but Freeman shot his effort wide with just Bruce to beat.
The Flame took a big 1-0 lead in the 56th minute when a corner found Yianni Fragogiannis at the back post, before he headed the ball back across goal for Yianni Perkatis, who slammed the ball home from a few yards out.
Two minutes later, a free kick from Fragogianis went just wide of the goal as Bankstown held on in the match.
The hosts had a golden chance to level the match on the hour mark when a cross from Salgueira found Cross in the middle, but he headed the ball straight at Bruce from six yards out.
Tyron Geany had an effort from range for Bankstown saved as the hosts looked to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Bankstown threw players forward in the final 20 minutes in their attempt to find two late goals, but that left them open at the back, with Harb forcing Richau into another save late, before Iwata had a chance himself which went wide from inside the box.
Bankstown had a lifeline in the 87th minute when Cross was fouled in the box for a Bankstown penalty – Cross stepped up and slammed the ball past Bruce, who got a hand on it, as Bankstown kept the match alive late in their hunt for the all-or-nothing win.
The Flame had the final chance of the match, however, when Jay De Gouveia hit the post from the edge of the box.
Bankstown had a big chance in stoppage time when Jamie Dib got top the byline squared the ball and the ball deflected off Bruce, with Cross unable to direct the ball which had hit his calf, into the back of the net.
Bankstown were unable to find the winning goal which would have kept their season alive for another day and put pressure on Mounties, instead having their season end in a 1-1 draw with the Flame – however, Mitchell Cross finished the season as the top goal scorer with 35, ten ahead of Mounties’ Yuki Kanai.
The draw for Bankstown saw them finish the season with 60 points in 3rd, three points behind 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC in the fight for the promotion-relegation playoff, but they showed marked improvement on last season, where they finished 9th, and they will hope to continue to show improvement next year.
The Flame, meanwhile, finished in 6th on 47 points, three behind 5th-placed Central Coast United FC and ten ahead of 7th-placed Hurstville FC, in what was also an improvement on their 11th-placed finish from last season.
Bankstown United FC 1 (Mitchell Cross 97’ pen)
South Coast Flame FC 1 (Yianni Perkatis 56’)
Camden Tigers FC 5-1 Granville Rage
Camden Tigers FC finished their season on form and on a high note after their 5-1 home win over Granville Rage.
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead when David Scott found the back of the net as the Tigers looked to complete a strong league double over the Rage.
Camden’s gameplan worked when they found a second goal before half-time, this time through Bailey Simpson, as the hosts took a 2-0 lead into the break.
Simpson found a second goal just seven minutes into the second half as he finished the season on 12 goals.
The young Tigers squad continued to fire when Aidan Limbrey found the back of the net to give Camden a 4-0 lead in the 54th minute.
Brendan Lane wrapped up the scoring for the Tigers in 81st minute to give Camden a 5-0 lead.
The Rage scored a consolation goal late through Michael Sada, but it was just that as the Tigers ran out 5-1 victors at home.
The win for the Tigers saw them finish the season on form in a 10th-placed finish on 34 points, one point behind 9th-placed Granville Rage and six points ahead of 11th-placed Prospect United SC – their 10th-placed finish is down from their 7th-placed finish from 2023, however.
The loss for the Rage saw them finish the season in 9th place on 35 points, one point behind 8th-placed Parramatta FC and one point ahead of 10th-placed Camden Tigers FC – their 9th-placed finish is an improvement on their 12th-placed finish from 2023.
Camden Tigers FC 5 (David Scott 5’; Bailey Simpson 30’, 52’; Aidan Limbrey 54’; Brendan Lane 81’)
Granville Rage 1 (Michael Sada 83’)
Saturday, 24th August 2024
Hawkesbury City FC 1-3 Newcastle Jets
The Newcastle Jets became the first-ever League Two Men’s Invincibles after their 3-1 away win over Hawkesbury City FC saw them finish the 30-round season with zero losses in what is an unprecedented, remarkable achievement.
In an open match, the Jets took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when Xavier Bertoncello got on the end of a ball over the top and found the back of the net for his 16th goal of the season.
Bertoncello had his double two minutes later when Hawks’ goalkeeper Daniel Schwarzer cleared the ball into the knees of Bertoncello, who took the ball forward for a tap-in and a 2-0 lead for the Jets.
Hawkesbury hit back, however, in the 27th minute following quick build-up when Stuart Gosling found Harry Drew with a low cross before Drew finished the move from eight yards to reduce the deficit to a 2-1 scoreline at half-time.
In the second half, both teams continued to overlap and attack, but it was the Jets who found the killer goal in the 59th minute.
A chip over the top of the Hawkesbury defence found Bertoncello, who finished off the move with a soft volley to give the Jets a 3-1 lead and his hattrick.
The Hawks had a few more attacks late to Vincent D’Ermillio but were unable to find another goal back as the Jets wrapped up their historic season with a 3-1 away win.
The loss for the Hawks saw them finish the season in 12th on 28 points, level on points with 11th-placed Prospect United SC and one point ahead of 13th-placed Fraser Park FC, compared to their 8th-placed finish from last season.
The win for the Jets, meanwhile, saw them earn the title of the Invincibles, with a record of 23 wins, five draws and zero losses from their 28 matches as they created history in Australian football – they finished on 74 points, 13 ahead of 2nd-placed Mounties Wanderers FC as they won the 2024 League Two Men’s title and earned promotion to the League One Men’s competition for 2025.
Hawkesbury City FC 1 (Harry Drew 27’)
Newcastle Jets 3 (Xavier Bertoncello 14’, 16’, 59’)
Fraser Park FC 1-2 Sydney University SFC
Sydney University SFC ended their season on a high note after they held off Fraser Park FC for a 2-1 away win.
University started the match strongly with a goal in the 12th minute when a long goal kick from Jasper Sarkies found Joseph Roddy, who got onto the ball and capitalised on a mistake from Fraser Park goalkeeper Amaro Ferreira and rolled the ball home for a 1-0 lead.
From there, Fraser Park dominated the rest of the first half, with a penalty attempt saved by Sarkies, as well as an open goal missed by Fraser Park as they rued missed chances.
The hosts grabbed an equaliser, however, in the 37th minute when a low shot from Harry Skotadis found the back of the net to level the match at 1-1 at half-time.
The second half was a transitional affair, but the match changed in the 55th minute when Fraser Park’s Francis Mcalpine received a second yellow card, which reduced the hosts to ten men for the remainder of the contest.
University capitalised in the 65th minute when a cross from Samuel York found Isaac Folkes, who finished off the move at the back post to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
University missed a few chances late to put the match beyond doubt but ran away with their third away win of the season in a 2-1 success.
The loss for Fraser Park meant they finished the season in 13th place on 27 points, one point behind 12th-placed Hawkesbury City FC and 11th-placed Prospect United SC, while they finished seven points ahead of Sydney University SFC in 14th – their 13th-placed finish is down from their 5th-placed finish from 2023.
Sydney University SFC, meanwhile, finished in 14th place on 20 points, seven points behind 13th-placed Fraser Park FC and eight points ahead of last-placed Gladesville Ryde Magic – their 14th-placed finish is down from their 13th-placed finish from 2023.
Fraser Park FC 1 (Harry Skotadis 37’; Francis Mcalpine 55’ red card)
Sydney University SFC 2 (Joseph Roddy 12’; Isaac Folkes 65’)
Prospect United SC 1-2 Central Coast United FC
Central Coast United FC finished off their season strongly to build optimism for the next season after they held on for a 2-1 away win over Prospect United SC.
The visitors hit the front early in the 10th minute when a long throw-in was not cleared by Prospect, which allowed Central Coast’s Mark Partridge to find the back of the net from six yards to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
Central Coast doubled their lead in the 35th minute when Jai Mcnamara headed home from a corner to put the Pirates in a commanding position at 2-0 ahead.
Prospect had three chances on transition in the first half but were denied by Pirates’ goalkeeper Zayd Husain as Central Coast took a 2-0 lead into half-time.
Prospect goalkeeper Jude Azar made two good saves from long distance Central Coast shots to start the second half to keep his side in the contest.
Prospect pulled a goal back in the 74th minute when Reo Hirose and substitute Gautam Shrestha combined well to set up Youssef Badr, who scored with a first-time finish to make the scoreline read 2-1 to the visitors.
Prospect pushed late and had a chance to level the match in the final minute when Badr broke down the left and squared a ball across the six-yard box, which was taken out for a corner in a last-ditch effort from the Central Coast defence with two Prospect players waiting to capitalise.
In the end, the Pirates held on and finished their season with a 2-1 away win over Prospect.
The loss for Prospect meant they finished the season in 11th place on 28 points, six points behind 10th-placed Camden Tigers FC and level on points with 12th-placed Hawkesbury City FC – their 11th-placed finish is down from their 6th-placed finish from 2023.
The win for Central Coast United, meanwhile, saw them finish the season strongly in 5th place on 50 points, two behind 4th-placed Inner West Hawks FC, who still have a match to play, and three ahead of 6th-placed South Coast Flame FC.
Prospect United SC 1 (Youssef Badr 74’)
Central Coast United FC 2 (Mark Partridge 10’; Jai Mcnamara 35’)
Inner West Hawks FC vs Hurstville FC was postponed and will be played at a later date, with the Hawks guaranteed a 4th-placed finish, compared to their last-placed finish from 2023, and Hurstville guaranteed a top-half finish in 7th, up from their 10th-placed finish from 2023.
By Football New South Wales League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa (@_dylancosta)
